Precooler for refrigerator cars



June 24, 1941. B. R. GIULIANO PRECOOLE R FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS Filed June 22, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 5.1%. Gz'ulian'o ATTORNEYS June 24, 1941. a GIULIANQ 2,246,798

' PRECOOLER FOB REFRIGERATOR CARS Filed June 22, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 18 I 3 19 i l j j INVENTOR .B.R.Guliano BY ATTO R N EYS Patented June 24, 194-1 l'l'E issuer 9 Claims.

This invention relates generally to the art of pro-cooling railroad refrigerator cars, and in particular the invention is directed to an i-mproved precooling apparatus of the type remov ably mounted in a railroad refrigerator car for the purpose of creating the desired forced circulation of air from the ice bunker through and about the load in the interior :or storage compart ment of the car.

The principalobject of the present invention is to provide railroad car pre cooling apparatus which is arranged to simplify and facilitate placement of the apparatus in the car, and without the necessity of using hooks, rails or other elements which are now commonly applied to the car to support the precooling apparatus in proper position relative to the ice bunker opening.

Another object of the invention is to provide precooling apparatus which is removable from the car from the central passage without the necessity of an operator crawling over the load and which usually results in damage to the products which comprise such load.

Afurther object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a. top plan view of the apparatus.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus as mounted in position in a car.

Figure 3 is a partial end view of the apparatus from the intake end.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, my improved precoollng apparatus comprises a sled having transversely spaced side runners I provided with a branched pull rope 2 suitably secured to the front end thereof. Intermediate their ends each of the spaced side runners I is provided with a pair of longitudinally spaced vertical posts 3 having a horizontal cross member 4 fixed on and extending between the upper ends thereof. A substantially rectangular platform 5 is disposed above the sled between the upstanding pairs of posts 3; the sides of such platform being slotted or notched vertically as at 6 and posts 3 engaging in such notches whereby to guide the platform, which is vertically adjustable as will hereinafter appear. Vertical suspension bolts 1 project uping the cross member.

wardly from opposite sides of platform 5 through openings in the corresponding cross members 4, each such bolt having an adjustment nut 8 threaded thereon from the upper end and engag- By reason of the above arrangement manipulation of nuts 8 effects a vertical adjustment of platform 5, as will be obvious. A rectangular fan housing .9, open at both ends. is removably seated on paltform 5 between the pairs of vertical posts 3. Within the housing 9 l mount an electric fan motor It on a suitable horizontal cross member l i, such fan being provided with blades l2 operative to draw air through the fan housing and discharge the same therefrom forwardly of the sled. The fan housing, with the included fan and motor, is removable from platform 5 for handling and transportation, the sides of the housing being provided with handles l3.

Vertical side panels it of substantially the same height as housing 9, extend in opposite direction from said housing adjacent the rear end thereof, said panels being supported at their adjacent ends by means of vertically disposedangle iron-s L mounted on and upstanding from the platform 5. The panels I i abut such angle irons and adare provided with vertical end extensions."

which lap and project laterally or outwardly from said side panels in suitably adjustable relation. The vertical side panels l4 and extensions I! are provided at their lower edges with horizontal rearwardly extending flanges it which project rearwardly and terminate in the plane of the rear ends of the side runners of sled l; the rear end it of platform 5 likewise terminating in the same plane.

In use, the first three or four vertical rows of boxes 13, which comprise a portion of the load in the railroad car, are placed in position adjacent bunker wall 20. Thereafter the sled I is disposed atop such portion of the load with the rear end is of platform 5 abutting against said bunker wall 2i! below the bunker opening 2|. The vertical side panels M are then connected with the assembly by means of the angle irons L and bolts it; such vertical side panels projecting laterally from the fan housing 9 to a point adjacent the side walls of the railroad car. The end extensions ll of panel M are then adjusted outwardly if necessary until they abut against such side walls of the car. When the panels I l and extensions ll are so adjusted. the

rearwardly extending 'fianges [8 thereof abut against the bunker wall 29 as does the rear end 19 of platform 5.

Thereafter the adjustment nuts 8 are manipulated to raise the platform until the fan housing 9 at the top, and panels l4 and extensions ii at their upper edges, engage the ceiling 22 of the railroad car. The above structure, with the adjacent car walls, provides full enclosure of the bunker opening 2! assuring that the entire volume of air flow created by the fan [2 must pass through bunker opening 2i as is desirable.

After mounting of the precooling apparatus on a portion of the load as explained above, the remainder of the load is placed in the car, the pull rope 2 being led across the top of the load to the central transverse passage which always remains in the car. After the precooling operation is complete, it is not necessary for an operator to crawl over the load to withdraw the precooling apparatus, the apparatus being easily withdrawn by pulling on the rope 2 which causes the sled I with all the supported apparatus thereon to move toward said central passage in the car where it can be disassembled and removed for use elsewhere.

It will thus be seen that the construction and mode of inserting, removing and mounting of my precooler is such that damage to the fruit is avoided as well as the damage to the interior of the car which occurs with ordinary apparatus which requires that hooks, nails and the like be driven into the car wall to support one part or the other of such apparatus in proper position.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a de parture from. the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Precooling apparatus including a support, a fan housing disposed above the support, a driven fan in said housing, and means mounting the housing in connection with the support for vertical adjustment, said support comprising a sled, the latter being provided with a forwardly extending pull element of substantial length.

2. Precooling apparatus including a support, a platform disposed above the support, means mounting the platform in connection with the support for vertical adjustment relative thereto, a fan housing supported by said platform, a driven fan in the housing and upstanding side panels of substantially the same height as the housing mounted in connection with the plat form and extending in opposite directions from said housing.

3. Precooling apparatus including a support, a platform disposed above the support, means mounting the platform in connection with the support for vertical adjustment relative thereto, a fan housing supported by said platform, a driven fan in the housing and upstanding side panels of substantially the same height as the housing mounted in connection with the platform and extending in opposite directions from said housing; said side panels including flanges projecting rearwardly from the lower edges thereof.

4. Precooling apparatus including a support, a platform disposed above the support, means mounting the platform in connection with thesupport for vertical adjustment relative thereto, a fan housing supported by said platform, a driven fan in the housing and upstanding side panels of substantially the same height as the housing mounted in connection with the plat form and extending in opposite directions from said housing; said side panels including flanges projecting rearwardly from the lower edges thereof, said platform extending transversely between adjacent ends of the flanges and projecting rearwardly to a termination in substantially the plane of the rear edges thereof.

5. Precooling apparatus including a sled, a platform disposed above the sled, vertical members on the sides of the sled projecting above the platform and to the sides thereof, means mounting the platform in connection with said members for vertical adjustment relative to said sled, a fan housing seated on the platform, and a driven fan in the housing.

6. Apparatus as in claim 5 in which said means includes horizontal elements mounted on said members and overhanging the platform, and adjustable connectors depending from said elements and secured at their lower ends on said platform.

7. In precooling apparatus a sled adapted to rest on top of the load in a refrigerator car, a fan housing disposed above and supported by said load engaging sled, and a driven fan in said housing.

8. In precooling apparatus a sled adapted to rest on top of the load in a refrigerator car, of a housing disposed above and supported by said load engaging sled, and a driven fan in said housing, there being a forwardly extending pull element of substantial length attached to the sled.

9. In precooling apparatus, a sled adapted to rest on top the load in a refrigerator car, a fan housing disposed above the sled, a driven fan in the housing, and means mounting the housing on the sled in vertically adjustable relation.

BENJAMIN R. GIULIANO. 

